Jason Scrivener and Andrew Georgiou led the way 鈥� playing in the same foursome 鈥� with identical rounds of 4-under-par 68.
Comox鈥檚 Riley Wheeldon, who finished third at PGA Tour sa国际传媒鈥檚 sa国际传媒 Island Savings Open on Sunday, Cory Renfrew, Eugene Wong, Roger Furrer, Michael Gligic, Lucas Lee and Sooke鈥檚 Stu Anderson were among those who did not survive.
鈥淚 think it was just a little bit of post-tournament letdown. I gave a lot into last week,鈥� said Wheeldon, who shot 4-over 76. 鈥淭here are still other avenues to make it into the tournament [Canadian Open] and coming off this past week, I struggled a bit for motivation.
鈥淲hen things started going south today I just didn鈥檛 quite have it in me to grind it out. I鈥檓 not going to let it derail my confidence,鈥� added Wheeldon, who is playing in the Vancouver Open this week and then returning to PGA Tour sa国际传媒 in Calgary the next.
A total of 13 players (top 11 and ties) qualified on Monday. Joining Scrivener and Georgiou were Yl (David) Cao and Matt Hoffman at -3; Josh Anderson, Jace Walker, David Sheman and Creighton Honeck at -2; and Clint Schiller, Daniel Payton, Wes Homan, Wes Heffernan and Ben Moser all at -1.
Moser was 5-under at the turn and had to grind it out on the back nine at Gorge Vale.
Not one spot was open to advance straight through to the RBC Canadian Open as the mandatory 100 registrants was not achieved. That meant the top 15 per cent had a chance to advance to the next qualifying stage instead, as stipulated by the RCGA.
Registration was up over 80, but with no guaranteed position, several actually pulled out to make it a field of 77. Only 71 actually managed to tee it up on yet another windy Victoria day.
鈥淚 played solid,鈥� said Scrivener, of Perth, Australia. 鈥淚t was the first time I had played the course so I didn鈥檛 know what to expect, so I am happy with it.
鈥淚 was a little disappointed. I thought there would be that one spot, which everyone was chasing, but I still have another chance,鈥� added Scrivener, who is a member of PGA Tour sa国际传媒.
The top three on that tour after the fifth stop at The Players鈥� Cup in Winnipeg will get to tee it up in the RBC Canadian Open and the next 17 get into the final qualifier as well.
鈥淚t鈥檚 all right, I鈥檒l find another way [to qualify],鈥� said Renfrew, who didn鈥檛 feel much like talking after his 2-over 74.
There were plenty of tales of woe. Gligic, who finished second on the PGA Tour sa国际传媒 (formerly the Canadian Tour) Order of Merit last year, was 3-under at the turn, but 4-over on the back nine. Anderson suffered a nine on the par-4 13th when he hit it too long and also double-hit the ball at one point on the hole on his way to a 75.
Wong, who won two of his four Canadian events in 2012, was 2-over 74.
